Education is a slow-moving but powerful force.

William Fulbright

Going back to university while having a full-time job is not everyone’s cup of tea. One of the challenges in balancing work and study is the workload and workplaces in general. However, with commitment and, of course, a supportive workplace, anyone can wear the cap and gown again. In this article, we are diving into the journey of I Made Arya Agung Wiranatha, who earned his master’s degree while working full-time as an Analyst Programmer in Mitrais. In addition, he also shares his interesting hobbies and secret sauce to balancing work, life, and study.

Finding a Prospective Major

It has always been Arya’s dream to land a career in IT. “Back in 2010, when I was in high school, I was considering some prospective majors when I learned that IT was predicted to be in high demand in the next years. Turns out, it’s true now, with our daily needs that mostly connect with apps that need software engineers. Back then, I also took a couple of Career Psychological tests that helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses to help me decide my major and career path.” said Arya.

Getting into Mitrais 

Arya applied for the Mitrais Junior Programmer Batch in 2014 and got accepted – even before graduation, thanks to Mitrais agile recruitment that allows fresh graduates to submit their certificates later. Arya shared his reason for accepting Mitrais’ offer, “Back then, I heard many good things about Mitrais from my lecturer and seniors. I also wanted the chance to work in Bali because my batch training and base at the time was in the Bali office.  

He continued, “I learned many new knowledge and skills that I hadn’t received during my undergraduate study. I was lucky because not many companies would allocate the budget for this kind of comprehensive training.”

Leveling up

Fast forward 12 years, and Arya has leveled up his career as an Analyst Programmer. “I have been assigned to some projects, and the longest one is with one of Mitrais’ high-value clients for almost 8 years. I am grateful that I am still trusted by the client until now,” he commented humbly. With this client, Arya has worked with different teams on different projects – wonderful opportunities to gain new knowledge to grow his expertise and career. 

Pursuing a Master’s Degree 

Arya has always been fascinated about upgrading himself through education, “I always believe that education is important – not only for a degree but also for the knowledge, network, and new perspectives.” For that reason, he decided to pursue a master’s degree offline. Luckily for him, Mitrais has a flexible working arrangement that allows software engineers to relocate to one of its office bases. So, he packed his life in Bali and flew to Bandung back in 2018 to both work and study at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). 

Surprisingly, instead of IT, Arya opted for another major, “I chose the MBA, not the Master of IT, because I want to broaden my knowledge in Finance. I know there are many free or paid courses online, but I knew I wouldn’t have a strong motivation to do self-study in the long run. It’s not like when we go to university, as it becomes our responsibility.” explained Arya. 

Being a student while having a full-time job is not an easy task. Fortunately, Mitrais is the advocate for work-life balance for its employees. He said, “I also feel the amount of work is fair, and there’s room to negotiate so we don’t work overtime.” With CoB at 4 PM and no overtime work, Arya could dedicate his focus to academic pursuits outside of working hours.

Interestingly, Mitrais’ support for his education was beyond his expectation as he testified, “Mitrais management and HR helped me finish my thesis as well by allowing me to conduct an interview and disperse questioners to other employees.” 

Green Thumb and Furry Friends 

Unlike others who enjoy traveling, Arya avoids commuting and crowded places. He finds solace in getting his hands dirty in the soil of his garden and playing with his three dogs. “On my rooftop, I have the hydroponics systems, normal garden, tilapia and catfish ponds, and my furry babies’ kennels. So mostly, besides my work spot, I spent my time there.” Arya chuckled. 

His garden is a host for many vegetables, “I grow various plants such as spinach, red spinach, water spinach, various kinds of lettuce, kailan, bok choy, chilies, tomatoes, cucumber, and many more.” 

Starting from a hobby to unwind, now Arya can sell the abundance of his veggies and fish harvest to neighbours and acquaintances. “When I started these hobbies in 2019, I only had one small hydroponic system with only 30 net pots, but now there are 700 net pots in my garden.” described the green thumb Analyst. 

“It’s refreshing for me to watch these plants and fish grow, and it’s good to have a hobby that makes money as well,” he grinned. 

Investing in the Future

Besides gardening, Arya also enjoys investing in the stock market. “Despite many types of investments, investing in the stock market is my choice. I don’t do stock trading, which requires me to pay attention to price charts and graphs because I don’t have time for it – I have to work, and it doesn’t suit my investment style.”

Arya is fully aware that the stock market possesses greater returns but also greater risks. Hence, he went the extra mile to research and choose the right company to reduce risks. 

“We don’t know what the future holds, so we need to prepare a safety net, just in case,” advised Arya. 

The Secret Sauce to a Balanced Life 

How does Arya juggle his work, education, hobbies, and interests? He spilled some tips to have a balanced life. 

Focus on a Single Task

“I always set clear time for work, study, fun, hobbies, etc. When it’s work time, just do the work, don’t think or do other stuff like studying, etc. Put them all behind for a while, and don’t extend the time. When it’s time to study, do the same, and don’t think of other stuff. The same thing applies to leisure time, don’t combine it with work or study,” affirmed Arya.  

He emphasized, “The main thing is to focus because I believe if we focus on one thing at a time, we can finish it faster and better.”

Set Boundaries

“This might sound easier said than done as sometimes we have people who keep poking us to do other activities instead of what we are currently doing. That’s why we must be firm to our commitment, set boundaries, and give some reasoning as well as assurance that we will do that once we are through with the ongoing activity.” 

Delay Gratifications

It is tempting to reward us with a little break by browsing social media, online shops, etc. But then we lose track of time. So, try to avoid that during our activity or set the alarm to limit screen time.

A Workplace That Offers More Than Just Work

A workplace where one can grow in a supportive environment can determine their happiness, overall life satisfaction, and balance. Mitrais offers beyond work: community, network, fun, and growth opportunities. Arya shared, “Back in Bali, I joined the company swimming and running clubs. Besides the normal workday, there are also events in Mitrais such as Innovathon and Hackday by TechnologyOne: a 1.5-day event where we try to create ideas to improve the projects.” He topped it off, “What’s more interesting is there’s a lot of food and drinks during these events to keep ideas flowing.”

Are you considering going back to uni or having other plans to self-upgrade while maintaining a balanced work and life? Rest assured, with Mitrais, you can do it.

#JoinMitrais today.